1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a throttle control apparatus for a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, and to a vehicle incorporating same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a throttle control apparatus, in which a throttle control sleeve, rotatably supported on a handlebar of the vehicle, and a throttle sensor unit disposed in a throttle control housing are engaged with each other by a spline fitting. The throttle control apparatus may be assembled with the handlebar by sub-assembling the throttle sensor unit onto the throttle control sleeve.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known throttle control apparatus, which by using a sensor, allows a rider of a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, to detect a throttle operation quantity by detecting a rotational angle of a throttle control sleeve which is operatively associated with a handlebar of the vehicle.
The Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2003-252273 discloses a throttle control apparatus having a ring on which a bevel gear formed on an end portion of a throttle control sleeve is mounted. The throttle control apparatus includes a body to be detected by a sensor which is meshed with the bevel gear of the ring. The body is rotated in the direction substantially orthogonal to the rotational direction of the throttle control sleeve, thereby detecting, by a sensor, a rotational angle of the body.
Further, the Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2554808 discloses a throttle control apparatus which includes an annular potentiometer which is formed so as to wrap around a handlebar, and at the same time, engages a rotary member on which a movable contact of the potentiometer is formed with one end portion of a throttle control sleeve.
However, the respective throttle control devices as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2003-252273 and the Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2554808, each have a drawback because each of these systems requires a large number of parts. Accordingly, the structure of the throttle control apparatus is liable to become complicated.
Therefore, with respect to the acquisition of the structure of the throttle control apparatus which can realize assembling operation with high efficiency while ensuring high sensor accuracy, the systems disclosed in the Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2003-252273 and the Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2554808 are still less than optimal. Particularly, a conventional throttle control apparatus cannot be mounted on the handlebar after sub-assembling the throttle sensor unit onto the throttle control sleeve.
The present invention has been made to overcome such drawbacks of existing throttle control devices. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a throttle control apparatus which can be assembled on a handlebar in a state that a throttle control sleeve, which is rotatably and pivotally supported on the handlebar, and a throttle sensor unit which is housed in a throttle control housing are engaged with each other by spline fitting, and during vehicle assembly, the throttle sensor unit is sub-assembled onto the throttle control sleeve.